On Canaan's Side

2011 novel by Sebastian Barry
978-0-571-22653-5Preceded byThe Secret Scripture 

On Canaan's Side is a 2011 novel written by Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry.[1]

Plot

The novel is narrated by the 89-year-old Lily Bere, the sister of Annie Dunne (2002) and Willie Dunne from A Long Long Way (2005), and the daughter of the character Thomas Dunne from The Steward of Christendom (1995), as she looks back on her life, having lived through the Irish War of Independence and escaped to Chicago with her boyfriend Tadg Bere. The Cleveland East Ohio Gas explosion of 1944 is referenced within the story and plays an important role in the plot.

Reception

On The Omnivore, a British aggregator of press reviews, the book received an "omniscore" of 3.5 out of 5.[2] In Bookmarks Jan/Feb 2012 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.00 out of 5) with the summary stating, "Reviewers found Lilly's story just as accomplished, describing it as rich and authentic, stripped free of the sentimentality that often clouds war-themed fiction".[3]

Awards and honors

  • 2011 Man Booker Prize, longlist[4]
  • 2012 Walter Scott Prize, winner[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "Faber & Faber Blog - Daily". Faber.co.uk.
  2. ^ "On Canaan's Side". The Omnivore. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "On Canaan's Side: A Novel By Sebastian Barry". Bookmarks Magazine. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  4. ^ Burke-Kennedy, Eoin (July 7, 2011). "Barry included on Booker longlist". The Irish Times.
  5. ^ "Walter Scott historical fiction shortlist announced". BBC News. April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  6. ^ Alison Flood (June 16, 2012). "Sebastian Barry wins Walter Scott prize". The Guardian. London. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  • Review in The Guardian
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Works by Sebastian Barry
Plays
  • Boss Grady's Boys (1988)
  • Prayer's of Sherkin (1990)
  • White Woman Street (1992)
  • The Only True History of Lizzie Finn (1995)
  • The Steward of Christendom (1995)
  • Our Lady of Sligo (1998)
  • Hinterland (2002)
  • Fred and Jane (2002)
  • Whistling Psyche (2004)
  • The Pride of Parnell Street (2007)
  • Dallas Sweetman (2008)
  • Tales of Ballycumber (2009)
  • Andersen's English (2010)
Novels
  • The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty (1998)
  • Annie Dunne (2002)
  • A Long Long Way (2005)
  • The Secret Scripture (2008)
  • On Canaan's Side (2011)
  • The Temporary Gentleman (2015)
  • Days Without End (2016)
Poetry
  • The Water-Colourist (1983)
  • Fanny Hawke Goes to the Mainland Forever (1989)